Database on agroforestry and soil organic carbon in the Latin America and the Caribbean region

This dataset comprises data from a systematic review done after a comprehensive literature search conducted in January 2023 to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature on the impact of agroforestry on soil organic carbon (SOC) in Central America, the Caribbean, and specific regions of South America (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela). We used the following academic databases: Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, CAB Direct, and Agricola (accessed through the OVID platform, www.ovid.com). We also included Tthe institutional database of the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE, https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/) was also included to expand the search with grey literature (PhD and MSc thesis). This database compiles the results of 60 studies, 311 paired observations of SOC storage rates and 332 response ratios (RR) from 44 and 54 field studies conducted between 1986 and 2022. From included studies, we extracted SOC data for both agroforestry plots and their corresponding control plots. We captured mean values, indicators of dispersion (standard error [SE] or standard deviation [SD]), and the number of replicates for both treatment and control groups. Our database represents, to our knowledge the widest and most rigorous analysis of available data on the subject. This database can help bridging the knowledge gap on the role of agroforestry in soil carbon storage in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. It also helps identifying key drivers of SOC storage variability and provide insights for developing effective carbon management strategies in agroforestry systems. It can provide robust guidance for policymakers and land managers seeking to optimize carbon sequestration and enhance ecosystem services in the LAC region.